* Gamification will gain traction in utilities to create consumer engagement, loyalty and trust; and

* Global utilities IT spending will surpass $59,3-billion in 2014.

“Despite regional nuances, the globally utilities industry is in the midst of a major paradigm shift. Flexibility and innovation are the ‘new normal’ and digital technologies and distributed generation are the cornerstone of the transformation across the entire value chain,” says Roberta Bigliani, associate vice-president and head of EMEA at IDC Energy Insights.

“In 2014, utilities will invest in analytics, mobility, cloud, social media, and cyber security while CIOs will adopt alternative sourcing models to enable business agility and reduce IT investments. Leadership and governance of OT and IT integration will be crucial to avoid undermining innovation.”